Batting

ROME, Ga. — The Berry College baseball team saw their Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Tournament run came to a close on Sunday afternoon, falling to the Lynx of Rhodes College in game three of the title series with a 7-6 final.

GAME ONE RECAP:

Needing a pair of wins, Berry took the opening game of the day with an 8-7 final on the arm of Trey Rampy. The senior earned the win, going 5.2 innings, allowing just three earned runs and striking out eight.

The Vikings opened scoring in the top of the third, plating a pair of runs after a Spence Johns triple and a ground out from Casey Whitaker. A suicide-squeeze play from Zac Lange in the home half of the inning got one back as Berry held a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth .

Berry's bats erupted for six runs in the fourth inning highlighted by a pair of two-RBI knocks from Johns and Quinn Smith. The Vikings took the 8-1 lead into the fifth, where Rhodes looked to mount a comeback. Plating five with the help of three hits and a Vikings error, Rhodes pulled to within two in the fifth before Johns would take over on the mound for Rampy in the sixth. The freshman went 3.1 innings to earn the save as Berry forced the decisive game three.

GAME TWO RECAP:

Dylan Beasley took the start in the final game of the series and settled in nicely after the Lynx jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the opening frame, highlighted by a Levi Greenberg grand slam.

The bats remained quiet until Berry plated five in the home half of the sixth to pull within one. With the bases loaded, Jacob Delk was hit by a pitch before a two-RBI double from Tyler Calvert. Quinn Smith then singled up the middle to bring home both Calvert and Delk, giving Berry a opportunity to tie the game.

The Lynx added a run of insurance in the eighth after a sacrifice fly from Ryan Palermo. Will Gibbons then tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the ninth, setting Berry up for a rally.

Devin Post led the inning off with a single, then Zach Huie would walk. Austin Brooks then sent a single up the middle, loading the bases with no out. The Vikings would score one despite a double-play, but a groundout would end the game 7-6.